Tell me what you love about NCL, esp. the Jewel!

[gweeptrish]

We just booked a last minute cruise on the Jewel (2/25) out of New York. We're veteran Disney Cruise Line travelers but one of us can't fly right now (recent surgery) so we wanted to try a cruise out of a port within driving distance instead.

 

I was really excited to try NCL but in reading up on what is and isn't included or available (compared to DCL) I find myself getting a little discouraged. So I was hoping you all would tell me what you love best about NCL so I can look forward to the best stuff instead of worrying about what isn't the same.

 

What should I be sure to try or to not-miss when we're on the Jewel? We've got two small kids (5 and 2), what should we make sure they get to try?

[njhorseman]

Your kids should like the Nickelodeon characters and activities on the Jewel.

 

BTW...the typical Disney cruise is a lot more expensive than the typical NCL cruise, so it should be understandable why some things like soda are included on Disney but not NCL.

[gweeptrish]

Your kids should like the Nickelodeon characters and activities on the Jewel.

 

BTW...the typical Disney cruise is a lot more expensive than the typical NCL cruise, so it should be understandable why some things like soda are included on Disney but not NCL.

 

Oh, I expected that sort of thing. It was the little things like no self-serve laundry facilities that threw me. When you have a potty-training toddler you can find yourself with a whole heap of laundry that needs to be done RIGHT NOW.

 

I really didn't come here to complain that NCL isn't as great as DCL. I *want* to like NCL and I thought the best way to help that along would be to ask NCL fans what they like so I can make sure I try those things too.

[Charlie4]

WE Just went on the Jewel in Jan. We love the Martini tasting. We really enjoyed the food in the main dining room. If you did not get a balcony room, there are window seats all over to look out. We did not see many children at all, so the childrens program must be good :) My sister and I can not fly so it is GREAT to drive to the port.

[2Cruise4Ever]

The best thing about the Jewel???? The crew!!! Your little ones will be treated like... well.... beyond royalty!!! Oh, and so will you! We've sailed with NCL for the past 10 years (7 years with our kids) and our kids LOVE it! They were 2 and 7 on our first cruise... now they're 9 and 14 and still talk about that first cruise. And, all the ones after that! ;)

[gweeptrish]

WE Just went on the Jewel in Jan. We love the Martini tasting. We really enjoyed the food in the main dining room. If you did not get a balcony room, there are window seats all over to look out. We did not see many children at all, so the childrens program must be good :) My sister and I can not fly so it is GREAT to drive to the port.

 

I'm glad to hear the main dining room food is good. We're planning to eat there instead of the cover charge places. We want to save our dollars to do the dolphin encounter in Nassau. My daughter is obsessed with sea mammals.

[Kruizin'Kath]

Have a wonderful time! I'll be waiting to read your review when you return! Remember...change isn't always easy, so keep an open mind and a sense of humor:D!

[pjnj40]

Jewel is a relaxing ship. You can eat outdoors by grand buffet. You got two different dining room to alternate. They got Nickelodeon with SpongeBob, Dora and Diego. They got the slide for all ages. I had fun on that. Comfortable size, not to big of ship. Crew is very understanding.

 

P.S. don't let all these reviews on here ruin your cruise. Just read the bad one this way you know how to handle it yourself. Like myself, I read the bad and keep in my mind. They said some buffet food is cold. This what i did. I took extreme small portion of the food i want and see which one to avoid after i take several bites. I go for more of knowing which is hot and get bigger portion. Plain and simple. Didn't bother me there.

[pjnj40]

one other thing, i thought this ship have bowling alley and it docent. Gem and the rest of sisters ships does.

[johnmpcny]

The crew is wonderful and your kids will love the Nic stuff. Join the roll call here and you meet the officers.

 

I would get to the port around 11, make sure you have lunch in aft main dinning room Tsars or if blue lagoon is open there the buffet is nuts on the first day. You can bring soda and juice on with you, just tag it like your luggage

 

Order breakfast in room, they have full hot items or just muffins, fruit plate and stuff. We ordered extra juice and kept it in the in room fridge for during the day. This is all free so use it to have your coffee and not have to run the kids up.

 

The pastries in the atrium are free they do charge for the special coffee there but the kids will love that as treat.

 

Best lunch time food is at the pool side BBQ if they have it on any day.

 

You can get laundry done for $30 a bag if you need it.

 

Dump <GGG> the kids in the kids club and enjoy some adult time in the spa or with your hubby.

[russianmom]

Jewel was my sons first cruise- he had just turned 4.

 

In April he'll be on his 5th cruise- back on Jewel

 

They now have the Nickolodean at Sea- which he is over the moon about

 

The crew is very very friendly and loves children. Everyone always says hello, asks him how he is, what he's doing for the day and gives him a high-five.

 

I did not miss the self serve laundry- the few times he had accidents I just hand washed the stuff in the sink and hung to dry. They do have a mid-week laundry special where everything you can stuff in the bag is $24.95.

 

The Jewel also has a kid sized buffet area separated to the side of the regular buffet. Kid favorites and kid sized table/stools. Very cute!

 

He LOVED the kid's club and they did a lot of fun things- pizza making, cupcake decorating, pirate treasure hunt, prince/princess parade, he always had his face painted and couldn't get there fast enough in the morning.

 

The main pool has a slide which he also loved.

 

You can bring on your own wine- $15/bottle and drink it wherever

You can also bring on your own soda or buy the soda card for kid's $4.00/day plus 15% gratuity.

 

I think the food in the MDR is fine and I have never had anything terrible. I also with a child, much prefer freestyle. No rushing back from a day at the beach hot and sandy and tired and getting dressed up to race to a specific time to eat- whether you're hungry or not. Eat when you want, where you want, with who you want (or don't want!!!) We enjoy the up charge restaurants after our son eats and goes to kids club. Kinda like date night with a free babysitter!

 

We were invited on a Disney cruise with a group we are part of for next summer. The cost for an ov room for 4 days was more than the price we pay for a suite (with all of the perks) for 7. We decided to pass and are taking a 10 day on the Sun instead. If you go into this thinking you are going to have a great time and do not constantly compare I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Plus NO hassle of airports and flying!!!!

 

I took my son on the dolphin excursion last year in Cozumel- he is still talking about it!

 

Fell free to ask another questions. You can also read my review in my signature- it was the Spirit but you can get an idea about NCL with kids.

Also check out the reviews by Mitsugirly http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1485446

and

Crusinmama http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1498132&highlight=gem+kids

[david_sobe]

The Jewel was my first cruise so I am especially fond of her. I love Cagneys on the ship and the Tex Mex place is pretty good too. The airconditioning vents on the back of each seat in the Gold Dust theater is very "cool." So it never feels warm or stuffy ;)

 

But my all time favorite place on Jewel is the forward lounge (name escapes me as I type this.... on other ships it is called Outrigger lounge). But it is a very cool place for sail away, or just chill in the afternoons and just watch the sea go by. The furniture in this lounge is very modern and funky so it is a fun place. I heard they will remove this lounge someday for more suites.... so enjoy it while you can.

[njhorseman]

The Jewel was my first cruise so I am especially fond of her. I love Cagneys on the ship and the Tex Mex place is pretty good too. The airconditioning vents on the back of each seat in the Gold Dust theater is very "cool." So it never feels warm or stuffy ;)

 

But my all time favorite place on Jewel is the forward lounge (name escapes me as I type this.... on other ships it is called Outrigger lounge). But it is a very cool place for sail away, or just chill in the afternoons and just watch the sea go by. The furniture in this lounge is very modern and funky so it is a fun place. I heard they will remove this lounge someday for more suites.... so enjoy it while you can.

 

It's called the Spinnaker Lounge on the Jewel and all the other ships that have this facility.

[mommom1]

We just booked a last minute cruise on the Jewel (2/25) out of New York. We're veteran Disney Cruise Line travelers but one of us can't fly right now (recent surgery) so we wanted to try a cruise out of a port within driving distance instead.

 

I was really excited to try NCL but in reading up on what is and isn't included or available (compared to DCL) I find myself getting a little discouraged. So I was hoping you all would tell me what you love best about NCL so I can look forward to the best stuff instead of worrying about what isn't the same.

 

What should I be sure to try or to not-miss when we're on the Jewel? We've got two small kids (5 and 2), what should we make sure they get to try?

I am going on this cruise also and I am the one who is doing the meet and greet go on the Jewel thread for our date. You should sign up I have 6 kids under the age of 7 going to the meet and greet, I have to put the final number in on Monday so contact me this weekend and I will get you started. I was on the NCL Dawn a few years back and it does not have everything the Jewel does I think its going to be great fun! I hope to get to meet you and your family. Thanks Vicki

[Jezo]

Besides the laundry what else are you discouraged by? Anything specific you want to know?

 

We were on the Jewel out of NYC just a few weeks ago with a 7 month old. We have zero complaints about the trip.

[Carnac767]

Sailing past the canyons of Manhattan on your left, with Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on your right is a unique experience. You'll have lots of terrific photo ops. DW particularly loves the spa on the Gem class ships and really liked the one on Jewel. She always gets a spa pass. Be sure to join the roll call for your sailing. It's a good way to meet fellow cruisers with children the same age as yours. We've had two great cruises on Jewel and wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again.

 

p.s. If you want to get a good viewing spot in Spinnaker's on sailing day, get there early.

[gweeptrish]

The crew is wonderful and your kids will love the Nic stuff. Join the roll call here and you meet the officers.

 

I would get to the port around 11, make sure you have lunch in aft main dinning room Tsars or if blue lagoon is open there the buffet is nuts on the first day. You can bring soda and juice on with you, just tag it like your luggage

 

Order breakfast in room, they have full hot items or just muffins, fruit plate and stuff. We ordered extra juice and kept it in the in room fridge for during the day. This is all free so use it to have your coffee and not have to run the kids up.

 

The pastries in the atrium are free they do charge for the special coffee there but the kids will love that as treat.

 

Best lunch time food is at the pool side BBQ if they have it on any day.

 

You can get laundry done for $30 a bag if you need it.

 

Dump <GGG> the kids in the kids club and enjoy some adult time in the spa or with your hubby.

 

Awesome, thanks! That's exactly the stuff I was hoping for. I didn't know about the hot items for room service breakfast - DCL only has that for suite guests. We'll definitely skip the buffet for embarkation lunch. The kids are really looking forward to the club. I've already warned them that the space is smaller but that the activities should be just as much fun.

[Sandyshore]

Awesome, thanks! That's exactly the stuff I was hoping for. I didn't know about the hot items for room service breakfast - DCL only has that for suite guests. We'll definitely skip the buffet for embarkation lunch. The kids are really looking forward to the club. I've already warned them that the space is smaller but that the activities should be just as much fun.

 

I was on the Jewel just last week in a regular balcony cabin and ordered room service breakfast twice. I don't remember any hot choices. There was a selection of cereals/milk, toast, muffins, croissants, fruits, juices and coffee, but no hot foods. I know the suites have an expanded menu that definitely includes eggs, pancakes, french toast, etc. Just wanted you to manage your expectations and not be disappointed (unless you're in a suite). :)

 

We had a fantastic week. Didn't travel with little ones, but we saw many happy children in the youth activities and occasionally got a glimpse of Dora :p

[gweeptrish]

I was on the Jewel just last week in a regular balcony cabin and ordered room service breakfast twice. I don't remember any hot choices. There was a selection of cereals/milk, toast, muffins, croissants, fruits, juices and coffee, but no hot foods. I know the suites have an expanded menu that definitely includes eggs, pancakes, french toast, etc. Just wanted you to manage your expectations and not be disappointed (unless you're in a suite). :)

 

We had a fantastic week. Didn't travel with little ones, but we saw many happy children in the youth activities and occasionally got a glimpse of Dora :p

 

Thanks. We're in the cheapest cabin on the ship so no perks for us!

[gweeptrish]

How about the shows? Any ones in particular that young kids would probably enjoy with us? I'm having trouble finding information on NCL's website about what shows are actually offered on the Jewel.

[DMH15]

We loved the Blue Lagoon on the Jewel. It's a cafe open for breakfast and lunch.

[Sandyshore]

How about the shows? Any ones in particular that young kids would probably enjoy with us? I'm having trouble finding information on NCL's website about what shows are actually offered on the Jewel.

 

If the kids like singing and dancing, they might like "Band on the Run" the production show presented on the 2nd night. Lots of colorful costumes, peppy music, a lot going on that might hold their attention. The hypnotist Brenda Kaye put on a very funny show that's rated "G" on the 3rd night. Your 5-yr-old might enjoy seeing people act funny onstage; who knows if the younger one would even realize they're hypnotized :rolleyes:.

 

Duo Elegia on Day 4 is a "Cirque du Soleil" type act that's just amazing for adults and kids. Day 5 we saw Jean Pierre in a magic show. They might not get his comedy, but his prop tricks are cool, and he asks for a kid volunteer -- my cruise he had a 5-yr-old on stage with him. The final big show is "Le Cirque Bijou" with more acrobatics. All shows were presented at 7:30 and 9:30, so you could have an early dinner and then catch the 7:30 show.

 

There's also Slime Time Live on the last day at sea, in the afternoon.

 

I don't know if there are youth counselors who could babysit the kids in your cabin so you could have some alone time for a quiet dinner, or to catch the late-nite shows in Spinnaker at 10:30pm -- definitely not for little ones.

 

Enjoy!!

[Sandyshore]

We loved the Blue Lagoon on the Jewel. It's a cafe open for breakfast and lunch.

 

Not just breakfast and lunch --- it's open pretty much all the time, except at 4am when they close for an hour or two to clean. A great place for a meal or a snack or dessert, and, altho I never did it, I understand you can get something "to go." (Best brownie sundae on the ship :D)

[Whippets]

What I love about the Jewel is Hugo, the hotel director. He is the most personable guy and NCL is so lucky to have him!

[gweeptrish]

If the kids like singing and dancing, they might like "Band on the Run" the production show presented on the 2nd night. Lots of colorful costumes, peppy music, a lot going on that might hold their attention. The hypnotist Brenda Kaye put on a very funny show that's rated "G" on the 3rd night. Your 5-yr-old might enjoy seeing people act funny onstage; who knows if the younger one would even realize they're hypnotized :rolleyes:.

 

Duo Elegia on Day 4 is a "Cirque du Soleil" type act that's just amazing for adults and kids. Day 5 we saw Jean Pierre in a magic show. They might not get his comedy, but his prop tricks are cool, and he asks for a kid volunteer -- my cruise he had a 5-yr-old on stage with him. The final big show is "Le Cirque Bijou" with more acrobatics. All shows were presented at 7:30 and 9:30, so you could have an early dinner and then catch the 7:30 show.

 

 

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for!